Personnel 'not available' for emergencies in Lethbridge, authorities say

The head of Lethbridge’s Fire and Emergency Services was direct at Thursday’s community safety standing policy committee meeting, outlining staffing struggles currently facing the department.
Chief Greg Adair stated the adequate standard of service isn't being provided.
“The challenges, basically, are that ambulance staff is not available to aid in fire and rescue operations,” he said.
Adair said the city’s emergency response is suffering because they don't have enough staff and he had the numbers to prove it.
During the presentation, Adair said since 2015, the department has seen a 20 per cent increase in long distance transfers, with resources being tied up outside of the city for up to eight hours. Data also showed a 58 per cent increase in crews responding to emergencies outside of Lethbridge and a 47 per cent increase in call volumes.
According to the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA), the union that represents the province’s first responders, Lethbridge isn't the only city facing these challenges.
“Medicine Hat faces the exact same issue, Calgary and Edmonton face the exact same issue, Peace River and Grande Prairie – same issue. We have no added paramedics to the system, we have only added a 60 to 70 per cent, depending on who you ask, workload on a system that is already under pressure,” said Mike Parker, president of the HSAA.
The HSAA believes the staffing struggles aren’t a response to centralized dispatch, rather a shortage of employees and communication centre operators across the province.
To address the struggles facing Lethbridge’s department, Adair presented the committee with four options, including a new parallel service to ensure a quick and effective response time for fire crews, which council voted to go ahead with.
The parallel service would continue with firefighters being cross-trained for both fire and EMS, but when arriving at a call they would act as either a firefighter or paramedic – not both.
“If we move to the parallel service and that same scenario we talk about, the ambulance that is on the fire scene is only there for medical aid, they wouldn't be there to aid in the fire suppression,” said Adair.
Adair has recommended hiring eight new firefighters to increase service response, which is expected to cost about $885,000. He says the department should be able to find efficiencies within its operating budget to offset the increased staffing costs and not impact taxes for residents.
The HSAA said that's a move forward, but more needs to be done at a provincial level.
“It helps those that we currently have, move the ones (paramedics) we already have onto trucks, in full-time positions and let's work on recruiting into the future, that's what needs to happen today,” said Parker.
The recommendation will now go before city council for a final decision.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada tracked suspected Chinese spy balloon over Canadian airspace since last weekend: sources
The suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that was found floating over sensitive military sites in the western United States had been tracked by Canada's government since last weekend as it passed through Canadian airspace, sources tell CTV News.

Oldest preserved vertebrate brain found in 319-million-year-old fish fossil
The oldest preserved vertebrate brain has been found in a 319-million-year-old fossilized fish skull that was removed from an English coal mine over a century ago.
Former NHL-er Ted Nolan among Indigenous players honoured in new hockey card series
It took 40 years, but former NHL player and coach Ted Nolan is now one of eight Indigenous ex-NHL-ers being honoured hockey trading cards as a part of Upper Deck's First Peoples Rookie Card series.
B.C. man who was mistaken for target, shot by police in 2013 has lawsuit dismissed
A B.C. man who was mistaken for the target in a police takedown and shot by an officer in 2013 has had his lawsuit alleging negligence dismissed.
Bodies are those of 3 rappers missing nearly 2 weeks: Detroit police
Three bodies found in a vacant Detroit-area apartment building have been identified as those of three aspiring rappers who went missing nearly two weeks ago, police said Friday.
Maid's son tells judge Alex Murdaugh took US$4M for her death
For much of disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh's double murder trial, witnesses have talked about a generous and loving man -- but prosecutors want jurors to know that same man stole over US$4 million from his housekeeper's relatives after she died at work, and killed his wife and son to cover up his crimes.
Japanese prime minister's aide leaving over LGBTQ2S+ remarks
A senior aide to Japan's prime minister is being dismissed after making discriminatory remarks about LGBTQ2S+ people.
Jury: Musk didn't defraud investors with 2018 Tesla tweets
A jury on Friday decided Elon Musk didn't deceive investors with his 2018 tweets about electric automaker Tesla.
Stars disappearing before our eyes faster than ever: report
A new research from a citizen science program suggests that stars are disappearing before our eyes at an 'astonishing rate.'